Shipping container for eggs and other fragile articles



.May s, 1923. 1,454,601

f L. oxHANDLER SHZIPPING CONTAINER FOR EGGS AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES y Filed June 11, 1921 mmm, (C) I 1? QM Hum #HNHK IIIIIII n0@ F4 v65./ w; u

ZA/Uwe Patented May 8, 1923.

UNITEDLSTTES PATENT? OFF-ICE:

" tEoroLnoxHANDLnR, oF-cnIcAGo, ILLINOIS,

snirriNG coN'rAiNER :son rises AND'OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES.`

' Appnca'aon manne 1p1,v 1921. serial No. 476,778. v

4 To all whom 'it may concern.'

Beit known that I, LEOPOLD OXHANDLER, a citizen of Russia, who has formallydeclaredy his intention of becoming a-citlzen of thev United States, residingat Chicago, county'of Cook, State of Illinois, have 1n'- vented a certain new and yuseful Improvement in ShippingContainers for Eggs and Other Fragile Articles, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which" it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the'accomp'a'nying drawings, which forml a part of this specification.

HMy inventionhas Jfor its object toproduce a simple means in which eggs or other fragile articles may lbe packed wlth a minimum amount 'of labor, without requiring any-skill on vthe part of the packer and which, after the packing hasbeen com-` pleted, will permit' the eggs or other articles tol lbe shipped long distances or 4be subjected togrough handling-mother yways.

without'danger of breakage.A

A further ob'ect ofmy invention is to produce'a strong, light, durable 'shipping crate for eggs or other fragile articles, the crate being adapted to be used over and lover again@ f The various features'of novelty whereby L myA invention is characterized will hereinafter be' pointed out with particularity v in the claims; but, `for affull understanding of my invention and of its 'objectsand ladvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the cellcontaining slabs, forming part of myinvention' Fig. 2is'a plan? view of one of'theflats adapted to be placed upon the slabs to form closures for the tops 'and bottoms of the cells' y i Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a case of eggs packed in accordance with my 1nvention; and

Fig. 4;' isr a section taken' through. a completed package so designed that no enclosinv case or box is required.

Iy improved device consists of two parts, namely a series of slabs and a series of flats, the slabs l, each having athickness accompanying drawing,

be packed, andiilled with cylindrical holes, 2, extending entirely through the .same as close together as the `mechanical*'demands of the structure will permit, these-'holes be-Y ing at-ileast as large in diameter Vas the smaller diameter of. the eggs to be packed.`

- atleast equal tothe length of the'e'ggs to Thesev slabs are preferably molded out of wood pulp or other fairlyL light, strong ma? terial having cushioning characteristics. The slabs are preferably square, the iholes therein being regularly-arranged, prefer.-

ably'in parallel rows at right angles to'each other, so that the holes inany two slabs will register with each other whenl the-slabs" are laid upon each other with their edges coinciding. v

The flats, 3, may Abe made of'anyusual orV suitable material, each lpreferably hav-y ing at a plurality of points symmetricallydisposed with respect `to the ycenter, of the flat, shallow projectingv annular flanges, 4,

whoseouter diameter is the saine as the diameter' of the vholes in the slabs. VVThe flats which are to form theftop and thelbottom of la packagey are 'provided with flanges on one side only while thefintermediate vflats are flanged` on bothsides.v

In forming a package, one of the slabs is set upon a fiat and the holes or cells there-` in are then filled with eggs..k A second .fiat is then laid on top of the `filled slab and a second slab isplaced on top of the'flat. ,':It will be seen' that the upwardlyand` downwardly-projecting flanges on ythe flat interposed between the two slabs interlocks the slabsV together so that they will' not shift or slide one upon the other, The second layerv l off eggs is then inserted, and the process of adding Hats and slabs and filling the cells in the slabs, is repeated until a stack of the required A'size is obtained. In the arrangement shown, each slab is designedto contain three dozen eggs and, by piling five of these slabs upon each other,` fifteenV dozen 10o eggs or what is known as half a crate, may i block 'filled with cells containing Vthe eggs orl other articles. If desire`d,fboth the bolts for fastening theelemen'ts vof .the package together and the enclosing casing or box may be employed. y; l A It Will thus be seen that I-have produced a simple and novel construction and arrangement made up of a plurality of-duplicate slabs and a plurality of duplicate flats in which large ,quantities of eggs or other v fragile `articles mav be quickly and 'easily packaged, each being housed in an individual cell, and Which Will make it possible io ship such eggs or other articles long disances and under conditions Which cause packages to be carelessly handled', Without danger of breaking` the fragile contents;because the package Ais in effect a solid block honeycombed with cells each containing an individual article., l/Vhile I have'illustrated and described with particularity only asingle preferred form of `my invention, I do `not desire to be limited to the exact structuraldetails thus l illustrated and described; but intendv kto cover all forms and arrangements,l which come Within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the apa pended claims.

Iclaim: f y 40 l. In combination, a plurality of slabs superposed upon each other vantlhaving a plurality of registering holes extending through the same, comparatively thin flats lying between said slabsl and-interlocked' lith thesame.l i2. In combination, a slab having a thickness at least equal tothe length of articles to be packed, said slab having holes extending through the same, each hole being large enough to rreceive one of said'articles, and flats adapted to lie on the broac'l faces of' said slab and close the ends of said holes.

3. In combination, a slab having a thickness at leastequal to the length of articles tobe packed, said slab having holes extending through the same, each hole 'being large enough to receive one of said articles', and flats adapted to li'e on the broad faces of sai-d f slab and close theendsof said holes, each ot saidC flats having Afianges engaged in certain of said holes. I ffy', y. W' i 4. In combination, a plurality of lsimilar thick s labs arranged one upon another, comparatively thin fiats l"lying against the bottom, of Athe lowermost slabl and upon the uppermost'V slab *and servingas spacers between consecutive slabs, each slab having a thickness at least equal to the length of articles to be packed and being provided with holes extending through the saine and each large enoughl to receive; one of said articles. Y. i l Q 5.v In combination, a v,plurality offsimilar thick slabs arranged oneupony another,v comparatively thin Aflaps lying against the bottom of the loWermost slab jand uponpthe uppermost slab and serving as spacers between consecutive slabs, .eafch slab having a thickness at least ,equal tothe length of articlesto be packed and being provided- With holes extending through the same and each large enough, to receive one of said articles, each flat having annular ribs or flanges projecting therefrom and fitti-ngi-nto certain. of the holes in the slab or sla-bs vwith which the flat engages. i Y, c 6. `In combination,a plurality of similar thick slabs arranged one upon-another,` c omparativelyp. thin Hats lying. against thes'bottom ofthelowermost slab anduponthe uppermost slab' yand servinga's spacers bev tween consecutive slabs, each slab having a thickness at least equal to thelengthof articlest'o be packed-and being provided with holes extending vthrough the same, and

each large-enough to receive one of vsaid articles, there being` registering*bolt-,receiv-v ing holes extending through said VAslabs and said flats,and bolts*arranged the said bolt-receiving. holes. n y 4 7. I'n combination, a plural-ity of similar thickslabs arranged one upon another,'comparatively thin flats lying` against the Vbot-y -f tom of thelovvermost slab and uponlthe uppermost slab and serving as spacers between consecutive slabs, each slab having a thickness at least equal to the length of articlesto be packed and bein-g provided with holes extendingthrough the same. and each large enough 'to receive one of said articles, Veach flat having projectionsentered incertain of the aforesaid holesV to interlock the stack of slabs and `flats together, the slabs and iiats having registering bolt holes, and bolts. extending throughsaid bolt holes.

In testi-inonywhereof, I sign this specification. I

Y `LEOPOLD OXHANDIJEB. 

